Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov injured by Russian artillery shrapnel

Ukrainian filmmaker Oleg Sentsov, who joined the fight against Russian forces, announced on Monday that he had been treated for shrapnel injuries sustained during artillery shelling on the southern front.

The 47-year-old film director, originally from Crimea, spent several years in prison in Russia on terrorism charges and was released in a prisoner exchange before joining the Ukrainian Special Forces following the outbreak of the war last year.

Sentsov suffered this injury shortly after receiving the French Order of the Legion of Honor from the French Ambassador to Ukraine on Friday.

On Monday, Sentsov wrote on Facebook, "In our first combat mission after our return, during the landing operation, we came under artillery fire. The +Bradley+ saved our lives once again. Three of us were wounded, most of them from shrapnel," referring to the American armored fighting vehicle, Bradley.

He shared a photo of himself sitting in an ambulance, wearing military attire, with blood on his face.

The director wrote, "They removed the shrapnel from my face; the small fragments in my arm and leg will stay with me forever. The other men are also fine - the Zaporizhia doctors are very skilled, thank you!"

French Ambassador Etienne de Poncins posted a video on Twitter of the ceremony held on Friday at the site of St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, where Sentsov was awarded the Legion of Honor, the highest French order.

The ambassador described the director as a "true hero of Ukraine," saying that Sentsov had recently suffered another injury but was determined to attend the event. Sentsov had mentioned being in the hospital on July 9 without providing further details.

Sentsov presented his latest film, "Rhinoceros," at the 2021 Venice Film Festival. His debut film, "Gamer," was screened at several European festivals.

Last summer, the director told Agence France-Presse about his decision to join the Ukrainian armed forces, saying, "I have had many different experiences in life, and I have no regrets."



AFP